Legend Award Recipients

Legends of the S.E.C.

In the 1950’s, Richard Reno, founder of the Society of Exchange Counselors, observed that if people exchanged real estate it could solve many of the real estate circumstances existing in San Diego’s overbuilt market. He saw exchanging as an alternative to the unavailable cash buyer. He believed that people who owned real estate did not necessarily want to totally divest themselves of real estate ownership, but were uncomfortable in the circumstances surrounding their current ownership. In effect, the problem was not with the property, but with the people who owned it. In his opinion, there was no bad real estate, only inappropriate or untimely ownership. This premise led Mr. Reno to an idea that resulted in the modern real estate exchange (equity marketing) business we enjoy today.

Chet Allen graduated from Stanford with an economics degree and has spent much of his business career as a developer. His company, Greyhawk, Inc. is a general contracting firm and has developed residential subdivisions, apartment communities, office buildings and industrial buildings, mostly in California but as far away as Alaska. Chet has been involved in real estate transactions throughout the United States.

William R. (Bill) Broadbent, S.E.C., CCIM has been an innovator, educator and writer throughout his real estate career. Broadbent pioneered the concept of “Single Agency,” which is now accepted nationwide. He was Co-Founder of the national professional directory, “Who’s Who in Creative Real Estate,” and Charter Inductee into the “Exchangors Hall of Fame.” Broadbent was the first broker to hold both the S.E.C. (1962) and CCIM (charter member 1963) professional designations. Bill recently received the 2013 Jack Hunt Excellence in Education Award from the S.E.C. Education Foundation.

Jim graduated as the president of his high school student body. He was also an athlete and a scholar. He received a full athletic scholarship from a Redlands College. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1964. He continued his education and received his master’s degree in education in 1965. After receiving his master’s, he taught at two Southern California high schools, Riversides and Whittier. He taught school for about five years after his graduation. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame at University of Redlands in 1986.

C. Charles Chatham, S.E.C. was known as “Mr. Counselor” to the real estate industry. Chatham created the original seminar entitled “The Art of Real Estate Counseling,” which educated over 17,000 students nationally in a 20-year period of instruction. The Chatham Method of Professional Client Representation left a legacy that will live on for the benefit of real estate practitioners and clients for many generations to come.

Madge Irene Davis, S.E.C. is described by her peers as “the best listener of the listeners” and the “first lady” of the Society. Davis selflessly promoted the Society concepts of marketing session and led the way for women to become active in creative real estate in a previously male dominated business. The national success of marketing sessions and the reputation of the Society would not be what it is today without Davis, who was the most active organizer and mentor nurturing the early ideas and methods to successful implementation.

Don Eymann, S.E.C. was an early and well-known educator and organizer of many of the first exchange groups. Eymann was Co-Founder of Orange Coast Exchangors, and authored many writings on creative real estate concepts and values. Eymann is remembered as the developer of the “Mini-Offer” concept that he created in 1968 which is still used throughout the United States today in most marketing and exchange sessions.

After graduating from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in industrial engineering, Art Hamel went to work for IBM and was sent to California. After completing his assignment with IBM, Art decided he should be a business management consultant and founded a management consulting business with two partners, HTH Consulting Associates in New York. Art wound up back in California and bought a 25-unit motel in Modesto. Art took his motel to 0% vacancy by offering truck drivers a cold beer when they checked in. This was indicative of Art’s creative abilities.

Jack Hunt was known as the “Godfather” of the SEC for many years. Usually when one needed counsel about the SEC, they went to Jack first. Jack’s career in real estate development and investments included development of over 500 homes in South Wichita and Haysville, KS along with numerous retail centers, multi-family and mobile home developments and nursing homes. His portfolio also contained retail centers anchored by Wal-Mart all over the United States.

Roy gained life experience for the real estate arena by growing up and working on sheep and cattle ranches in Wyoming. Stepped into the real estate market in 1959 by purchasing a 10,000 acre ranch with $1,000 down and learned from my first real estate mistake when the ranch was sold the following fall.

Born and raised in the Midwest, Royce received his secondary education at the Missouri School of Mines, and Bakersfield College where he majored in Business Administration. Receiving his real estate license in 1956, Ringsdorf worked principally in the sales area until 1966 when he began his specialization in the real estate exchange field with an office in Visalia, CA.

Colby B. Sandlian, S.E.C., CCIM, has developed a national reputation as a developer, educator, and originator of innovative formulas and ideas. He is specifically known for promoting the concepts of becoming one’s own best client by developing and instructing the widely popular course, “Broker Estate Building.” Sandlian is the founding member of Self Service Storage Association (SSSA), a national trade organization establishing national standards of operation and management training. He has received many significant awards including a lifetime achievement award from the Kansas CCIM Chapter and Wichita State University for his contributions to the real estate industry.

Robert W. (Bob) Steele, S.E.C. has practiced real estate and taught creative real estate classes in many places around the world. He was Co-Founder of the Orange Coast Exchangors and an inductee into the Exchangors Hall of Fame. Steele has authored numerous books and articles including the classic “100 Ways to Make Real Estate Deals Without Using Cash.”

Cliff Weaver was known as an innovative individual who gave many seminars and classes throughout the United States. Born in Wisconsin, he graduated from the Harvard School, a military school in North Hollywood, California. He then graduated from the University of California at Berkeley.